Girona's trendiest restaurant: "I prefer Stuani to Lamine Yamal"

GironaRight across from the church in Riudarenes, a town of just over 2,500 inhabitants, stands a farmhouse with stone walls and a beamed ceiling, over 300 years old, proudly displaying the flags of Girona and Catalonia. This is Restaurante Can Cordons. "We try to make dishes respecting traditional cuisine, but with a modern touch," says Pau Turon (Riudarenes, 2000), its owner for the last eight years. "We met at the Girona Hospitality School," replies Gerard Picard (Girona, 1995), the chef. "Even though I'm now in the dining room, I'm also a cook," Turon asserts. That's not all they share, as they are also big Girona fans, although Picard has a bit of a Barcelona side. "Now I'm a little more of a Girona fan than a Barça fan," he admits. Míchel's team visits Osasuna this Saturday (6:30 p.m., Movistar LaLiga).

"I've been going to Montilivi since the days of Kiko Ratón," claims the owner, who has seen footballers like "Luso, Tébar, Moha, Migue, Jose, Jandro, and Dorca" live. The latter served him a few days ago. Because Can Cordons has become the trendiest restaurant in Girona. "The first one to come was Nahuel Bustos, in 2020. One day he showed up at the restaurant, liked it, and I understand that he started recommending it," continues Turon, who forged such a close relationship with the Argentine striker that he was invited to his wedding. "Yes, yes, I went to Argentina, to Córdoba, to see what their names were." yes I want"

Can Cordons has really made a name for itself in the last two years, as can be seen on Picard's Instagram, where he posts photos of the celebrities who visit the farmhouse. The list is impressive: David López, Miovski, Abel Ruiz, Arnau, Oriol Romeu, Iván Martín, Míchel Sánchez, Van de Beek, Francés, Delfín Geli, Hugo Rincón, Joel Roca, Jordi Melero, and Claudio Echeverri. It's not all about the football team, though. "I was thrilled when Marc Gasol came," boasts Picard, who adds that "perhaps because they're famous, you're more attentive to them, but we treat everyone equally." Baloncesto Girona players Pep Busquets and Guillem Ferrando, and former players Darryl Middleton and Jordi Trias are also among the guests. "It's great that they come back, especially with their families. We want them to feel at home. We're lucky that the dining rooms are very quiet. It's a family atmosphere, and the people who come here don't cause trouble, they don't spend their time watching what this person or that person is doing."

Putting down the pen for a goal

The restaurant was exceptionally closed for a couple of days last year to support Girona in their Champions League adventure. Specifically, in Milan. "We couldn't miss that day. We had to be there no matter what." They admit that when Girona matches coincide with work hours, they keep a watchful eye on their phones. "The other day I stopped taking a table reservation because we had them booked for the Athletic match," Turon blurts out.

"Serving a footballer is a real treat. Even more so if it's a player from your team. I much prefer a Girona player to one from Barça. Lamine Yamal or anyone else can come, but if Stuani comes, all the better," he says, despite a lingering regret about the uru (a type of sausage). "He wanted to come last year, but it was my birthday and we closed. He'll come eventually, I suppose."

What do footballers order? "It depends on the week, but lots of salads, grilled meats... If they've won a match or have a holiday, they can eat freely, but without overdoing it. For example, Joel Roca is passionate about popcorn with Parmentier, and when he can make desserts, he chooses the pistachio coulant. Hugo Rincón loves suckling pig." "With little fat," specifies Picard, who says that his signature dish is also "popcorn with Parmentier." Rice dishes and tartares are also very popular. For dessert, the chocolate fondant shines. "It's my own recipe, created from scratch," Turon points out. The chef jokes that the hazelnut one is the best.

There's a sense of camaraderie among the people of Girona who try "to use local products, also to support local businesses." "All the pork is from here," the head chef assures, pointing to the building next door, Cárnica Batallé. "They handle it well, they handle it well." "We have a very rich gastronomy in Girona." And they finish service without thinking beyond today. "As Simeone says, we take it one service at a time."